041. Scenic Area
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The next day, Lin Nan successfully woke up at ten o’clock thanks to her trusty alarm clock.
But compared to her late-night adventures yesterday, she was still as groggy as a sloth on a Sunday morning. It took her ages just to muster the energy to crawl out of bed.
“I’m so sleepy…” Lin Nan mumbled, yawning like a cat, as she picked up her toiletries and shuffled off to the balcony.
Still half asleep, she nearly stabbed her cheek with her toothbrush.
“Oh right! Interview at twelve!” The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, triggering a mad rush. She quickly gave her teeth a couple of random swipes, splashed some water on her face, and scrambled to change her clothes before dashing out the door.
The milk tea shop was nestled within a scenic area on a mountain dubbed “Dragon and Phoenix.” Even with the bus, it would take a solid two hours to get there—assuming she didn’t hit any traffic, which was already looking dubious.
Given that it was National Day, she could only imagine the horde of customers descending upon the scenic area. That’s why the milk tea shop was frantically on the lookout for part-time workers, fearing they’d be swamped before they could even catch their breath.
By the time Lin Nan plopped herself onto the bus, it was already twelve-thirty, and the traffic jam in the tunnel leading to the area wasn’t doing her any favors. What was supposed to be a two-hour ride stretched into two and a half hours, because who doesn’t love a good traffic jam?
At this point, Lin Nan was feeling a bit like a deer caught in headlights. If commuting to work was going to take this long every day, forget about having fun during National Day—she might not survive to tell the tale!
But holding onto a sliver of hope, she still wanted to have a chat with the milk tea shop’s manager.
The shop was conveniently located near the bus stop, and Lin Nan didn’t have to search long to spot it.
Walking up, she noticed there were three young male staff members working inside.
“Hi there, I’m here for the part-time interview we scheduled,” she said, inching closer to the counter, looking up at one of the guys. “Is the manager in?”
“I’m the manager. You must be Lin Nan, right?” The guy gave her a once-over that screamed “awkward,” and all he could manage was a polite yet bemused smile. “Uh… are you a boy or a girl?”
Caught off guard, Lin Nan shot back without hesitation, “A girl!”
She knew she was becoming more feminine over time, but to others, did she look so androgynous that they couldn’t tell? Was it the hair? But other than that one creepy dormitory uncle, no one had ever said anything like that before.
Of course, her roommates and classmates saw her every day and probably didn’t notice much of a change.
Putting that aside, Lin Nan forced a smile. “So, what’s the pay? How long are the shifts?”
“Let’s discuss it inside,” the manager said as more customers started coming in, leading Lin Nan to a cozy corner table at the back of the shop, where he provided an overview of the place before answering her questions. “Since you’re a part-timer, the pay won’t be as good as the full-timers. I can offer you fifteen bucks an hour, working from nine in the morning till nine at night—so that’s one hundred and eighty a day.”
“Wait, twelve hours?”
“If there are a lot of customers, we may need to work until ten when the scenic area closes.”
Lin Nan’s mouth twitched. Was she supposed to accept this kind of treatment?
“When it’s quiet, you can play on your phone or explore the scenic area, but during busy times, you have to be at your post. And I’ll cover two meals.”
Uh, hello? During National Day, when would she have time to play on her phone? Working late till ten felt like a rite of passage!
She turned to glance at the counter, realizing it was peak time. It was probably lucky she hadn’t run into many customers, but now a line of five or six was forming at the door.
Lin Nan frowned, contemplating whether this job was even worth considering.
Starting at nine meant catching a bus before seven, getting up by six, and finishing work by ten o’clock only to crawl back to the dorm around midnight. Even if she hit the pillow right away, she’d only be getting six hours of sleep!
She wasn’t so broke she needed to jump into the 9-to-9 rat race!
Plus, that supermarket on the walking street had promised him some easy leaflet distribution gig over the holiday—much less hassle!
“Um, sorry,” Lin Nan said with a smile and a nod, “I’ll think it over.”
The manager caught the hint and simply returned to his duties at the counter, not probing further.
So, after two and a half hours on the bus and coming away with this result—wasn’t Chen Yao supposed to warn her about the pay?
With a heavy sigh, Lin Nan stood up and exited the shop.
But since she was already at the scenic area, she figured she might as well stroll around and treat herself to some lunch.
This scenic area was a small mountain, complete with an amusement park, water park, and outlet stores, alongside a plethora of other nature-related attractions. Lin Nan wasn’t initially keen on the amusement park, but as soon as she stepped out of the milk tea shop and spotted the massive Ferris wheel in the distance, her intrigue piqued, along with a dollop of fear due to her mild acrophobia.
“Maybe I should give it a try?” After all, no one there would recognize her. What shame could there possibly be in riding a Ferris wheel?
Taking a deep breath, she finally mustered the courage to buy a ticket and entered the amusement park.
The first day of National Day brought in crowds, but it wasn’t overwhelmingly packed. After wandering past the carousel and pirate ship attractions, Lin Nan eventually found herself beneath the watchful gaze of the towering Ferris wheel, which was jaw-droppingly enormous up close.
There weren’t a ton of people in line, so after a short wait, she purchased her ticket and hopped in with two other random riders. As she gripped the safety bar tightly, her expression was a mix of excitement and fear, casting nervous glances out the glass windows.
The two riders were friends and were clearly there for fun. One, a skinny guy, broke the ice. “Are you really that scared before even going up?”
“Yeah, a bit.” Lin Nan gulped, finally turning her attention to the pair.
The other, a chubby guy, was too engrossed in his phone to chime in.
“Are you alone?” The skinny one continued, unfazed.
“Just looking for a part-time gig, and figured I’d ride this once.”
“How old are you? High school?”
Lin Nan’s annoyance flared as she shot him a glare. “I’m in my second year of college!”
First her gender, now her age? Ugh!
But her chance to fire back faded as the cabin suddenly jolted, slowly but steadily climbing into the sky. Lin Nan immediately clutched the safety bar with all her might, her heart racing as the dizzying view of diminishing buildings flashed before her eyes.
So high…
“It’s starting!” the other guy chimed.
Lin Nan managed to regain some composure and asked nervously, “Can I get off now?”
Before he could respond, the Ferris wheel began to spin faster, her cabin rocking more aggressively. The sensation of floating, combined with her fear of heights, made her realize she might just fall off at any second! She clung to the bar for dear life, pressed her spine against the seat, gritting her teeth as she braced for what felt like the end.
Before long, she was screaming silently in her head.
LET ME OFF!!!
FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, I WANT TO GET OFF!!!
I PROMISE I WON’T DO THIS AGAIN!!!
……
When the Ferris wheel finally came to a halt, the now-wide-eyed Lin Nan slowly opened her eyes.
Wiping the corners of her eyes, she realized she had actually been so scared she teared up.
